Major bridge projects delayed again

Friday

Nov 30, 2012 at 12:01 AMNov 30, 2012 at 11:58 PM

The openings of two long-awaited major bridge projects in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes have been pushed back again.

Xerxes WilsonStaff Writer

The openings of two long-awaited major bridge projects in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes have been pushed back again.The $26.7 million Prospect Street Bridge in Houma won’t open until mid-December, and the $30 million Larose Lift Bridge won’t be finished until late January, state Department of Transportation and Development officials said.“Even though they look like they are ready for traffic, it is a matter of getting all the systems working together as they should,” DOTD project engineer Christopher Rogers said.Rogers said the contractor is working to finish some electrical and mechanical components of the Prospect bridge. Issues were raised when transportation officials performed an inspection as the bridge neared completion, he said.“These bridges are very complex pieces of machinery,” Rogers said. The bridge had previously been delayed because of damage caused by Hurricane Isaac and late shipping of bridge components.The Larose bridge isn’t open yet for similar reasons, Rogers said.Baton Rouge-based James Construction Co. is responsible for both bridges and is being fined for each day the work isn’t completed. The company loses $5,000 a day in fine money on the Prospect Street Bridge, which is 80 days overdue, and $3,000 per day on the Larose bridge, which is about 60 days overdue.The Prospect project has been delayed several times, pushing its construction time to more than two and a half years.Most recently the bridge, which closed in May 2010, was set to open in November, DOTD spokesperson Bambi Hall said.Crews from James Construction dismantled the old two-lane lift bridge and built a six-lane replacement. Contractors also are widening portions of La. 24 and Prospect Street, which feed the bridge.The heavily used bridge allows drivers to cross Bayou Terrebonne, linking East Park Avenue to East Main Street. More than 18,000 motorists used the bridge daily before it closed, according to state traffic data.The new six-lane Larose bridge connecting La. 1 and La. 308 over Bayou Lafourche was previously set to open in October. Work began in July 2010 on the project paid for through federal stimulus money.Once complete, the bridge will connect La. 308 and La. 1 where West 15th Street connects to La. 3235. The bridge will provide travelers more convenience when going to and from the four-lane La. 3235 in south Lafourche, said Henri Boulet, director of the La. 1 Coalition, which advocates for improvements to the highway.The bridge is meant to replace the aging pontoon bridge a quarter mile up the bayou.